The Operative ★

Based on the novel The English Teacher by Yiftach Reicher Atir, the most generous thing you can say about this thrill-deprived Mossad spy thriller is that the grounded tone makes its narrative beats feel believable. Still, while its back-to-basics approach laudably aims for John Le Carré rather than 007, not even Diane Kruger and Martin Freeman’s best efforts can save the thoroughly uninspiring end result. Make no mistake: The Operative is such a soporific slog that it will give you a renewed appreciation for the middle-of-the-road spy fare Hollywood routinely serves up, and makes this week’s adequate Angel Has Fallen feel like espionage highs of Casino Royale.